Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-07-08
Mise can be hazarded with some con


foremost circles of New York, or whether
she descended to the slums, this purpose
held good To be Il queen among thieves
"a despotic overeign-holdng their lives
and freedom in her hand, directing and
controlling their operations, forming com
binations and accomplishing crimes which
should appal and paralyze society, these
may have been among the schemes that
were generating in her brain. That colder
judgment might pronounce such schemes
wildly impracticable would not move her ;
1t was the unprecedented, the impossible
that she craved. BY knowing the secrets
of the leaders of the criminal class she
could control them on the side of their
fears by her beauty and charm of sex she
rule them on another side. The advan-
| tages which she would be able to afford
| them them wonld he enormous and to-
gether they might do more to dcmoralize
civilization than all the nihilists and an
archists of recent times had been able to
accomplish. And destruction is the de.
| light of those whose hearts are turned to
evil.
But we may imagine that there was
also another current in her thoughts. She
knew, better than any one else could know
| it the profound fickeness of her nature,
strangely though 1t was mingled with
| tenaclty of purpose and cOnstancy to mis-
chief She knew that, although for the
present her humor led her to caress this
Caiban and mngle her thoughts and sym
pathles with his, yet an hour might come
| when she would weary of him and wish
him removed from her path forever. But
the power to effect this radiance. should
| 1t become desirable, must be insured Ivy
acquiring complete knowledge of every
thing that, II communicated to the author
tiles, would bring about the annihiation
of him and his. So long as she was kept
in ignorance she was helpless.
This was not the first time she had made
the attempt to enlighten that ignorance
and every attempt had met with failure
A woman of her calibre would have lost
her temper, quarreled with Grady, and
thereby have allowed the whole matter to
slip through her fingers; bnt she would
not allow herself to admit defeat. More
over, Grady's persistent refusal to accede
to her wishes in this respect so far from
alternating her from him, had the effect of
augmenting the singular species of infa-
tuation which she had conceived for him.
Had he yielded, it was quite on the cards
that she would have ceased to feel any in
terest in him. And yet she would bide
her time and leave no stone unturned to
compass her own disenchantment.
She raised her eyes and regarded Grady
with a smile.
" You don't care for me as much as
do for you, Jack" she said " but perhaps
you Will when YOU know me better. | will
show you that deserve to be trusted, and
when you are satisfied of that-well, |
shall be happy, that's all. But | can wait,
because | know it will come in time.
Wen say no more about it now. But may
| know whether the money has been
divided and you have some share ~
There amt but about forty thousand
of it in cash." said Grady, greatly relieved
at her apparent surrender, land | let the
boys divide that up among themselves
don't want nothin' to say to it. The bonds
and securities is my business once they
gets worked off We're all solid"
Have you got them here ?''
Grady shook his head. "No good run
MIN risks, and this place is bit too
near the place the stuff came from. Me
and the boys Ia ked it over and it's been
put where it's safe Well mebbe send
some of it to London, for it amt healthy
passiu registered stuff around here; but the
best scheme is to lie low for bit, and then
those chumps at the bank will buy it
| back themselves.
Can do anything more ?" asked she,
after pause.
You might smell around and find
what they're doin' about it; you can al
ways get the tip from the inside There
isn't nobody gon' to suspect you -
No, Jack, they won't suspect me, she
answered, looking in his face with a pecll-
liar smile " 1t would be harder for me to
make them believe me what | am than
for your Jimmy Hope if he were caught
]
pocket TO make them believe he was in
nocent. ! wish you could see me recev-
! ing my friends in drawing-room, OF
/ making calls, and conversing about fash
ions and the opera or attending divine
service at Grace church, and making the
| responses"
Sort of sick OF it, amt you 2" said
Grady sympathetically.
She thought moment and then shook
her head.
No used to be, but now ! enjoy it
because it's all such joke on them If
were really what | seem to them it would
be intolerable but since am what you
and nobody but you-know | am it.
fun ~
Well, it takes woman for straight
out deviltry ~ remarked Grady with t
grin. We profesh' nal chaps goes in fol
business, but you are in just for the hel
of it Did you fetch them bills o. your.
along with YOU"
Oh, it's no matter about those" sh,
returned carelessly. You haven't 90
what you expected yet, and | don't wan
You to pay anything more yourself"
Come now, none of that" exclaimed
Grady, reddeniug. q" am running yot
aud ! want you should know it All tn,
money that goes into your pocket comes
out of mine, and don't you forget it ? b,
c., if | hear of any of them blood!
swells stumpin' up for you I'll tear thei
gus OUT Oh EN- lou mdy.pay OH WIFI
me about kissin' and huggin' and all tina
Us much as you like-until our tim,
comes; but want you should know tina
you're my woman, just as much now a
you will be then, and there don't nobody
else come betwiXt US Give me them bill
or III take 'em from you ~
His face had darkened and his eye
sparkled He had worked himself into
passion. She gazed at him intently h,
thrilled her, and she loved to be so thrilled
} She put her hand in the pocket of he
dress and pulled out little bundle of pa
pers, which she handed TO him. He tool
} them and glanced them over.
"On'y thirteen hundred dollars ~ saiC
he, land been goin' on over six weeks
Look here Are you you keepin' anythn
back ?"
No, indeed, Jack, that's every bit In
in debt"
You'll spend more than that when
get hold of you ~ muttered he. "Ill max,
you wallow in diamonds and wipe you
: feet on lace at fifty dollars a yard Com,
here ~ he added, rising and going to tn,
safe. She followed him submissively. IL,
threw open tie heavy door, and opening 3
~ m .Nrl ,,,